Author: Dr Nancy P

Recipes

Craving Beating Pud – Chocolate Greek Yoghurt Your Way!

Dr Nancy P

This is one of my favourite desserts (or even a mid afternoon snack!). It’s like having a huge chocolate mousse! It’s creamy and sweet, and perfect for combatting sugar cravings – especially after dinner. Its really filling too (as the Greek yoghurt is high in protein) which means you’re less likely to go on to graze on more snacks afterwards. It’s also really quick and easy to prepare.

You can make whatever flavour you like – I’ve done a chocolate one and a white chocolate and raspberry one, but the world is your oyster! If you use cocoa powder you will find it needs sweetening – so for that i use either a low calorie jam (my favourite is the skinny food co Jam – only 7 cals for a tbsp and they also do flavour syrups too I’d that’s your thing – check them out here : The skinny food co) or you can use some honey etc or some stewed fruit.

You can also customise toppings – sometimes I have it without, or I use a few chocolate chips (I happened to have white cooking chocolate chips in the cupboard so used those), or a little sprinkle of cereal (Rice Krispies, cocoa pops etc work well).

Calories vary depending a little on what flavour, fruit and toppings you use but you’re looking at roughly 160 – 250 cals.

Chocolate bowl

You will need:

125g 0 percent Greek Yoghurt – I prefer ‘Total’

1 serving of hot chocolate powder (options works well) OR 1 large tbsp cocoa powder (adjust cocoa powder for taste – I also like to add a little cocoa powder as well as the hot choc for added calorie free richness)

A handful of mixed berries (around 120g) – I like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries

A few chocolate chips (or choice of topping)

Sweetener if required

Place the hot choc powder or cocoa powder in a bowl.

Add the Greek yoghurt

Using a spoon just mix the cocoa powder/hot choc into the Greek yoghurt (it may look like it’s going to be too dry but keep going). ‘Whip’ it up by mixing well so it’s nice and creamy and the powder is fully incorporated. Taste a little and if needed you can add something to sweeten it (honey, maple syrup, zero calorie syrup, low cal jam etc).

Add the berries.

Sprinkle over your topping of choice and enjoy! 🙂

White chocolate and raspberry

You will need:

125g 0 percent Greek Yoghurt – I prefer ‘Total’

1 serving of white hot chocolate powder (options works well)

A handful of mixed berries (around 120g) – I like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries

1 tbsp low calorie jam (I use skinny food co raspberry jam : The skinny food co

A few white chocolate chips

Place the hot choc powder or cocoa powder in a bowl.

Add the Greek yoghurt.

Using a spoon just mix the hot choc into the Greek yoghurt (it may look like it’s going to be too dry but keep going). ‘Whip’ it up by mixing well so it’s nice and creamy and the powder is fully incorporated.

Add the jam and swirl it through the yoghurt.

Add the fruit and sprinkle the white choc chips over the top.

Enjoy!

🙂 xx

Fitness and Exercise

Bodyweight workout number 9!

Dr Nancy P

It’s ‘fun’ time again! Yippee! lol!

You know what to do – ten exercises, ten mins in total and no equipment required – just yourself, a watch/iphone to time it, and a mat if you want one for your knees/hands.

If you have more time then you can always do it twice or three times, if you don’t have ten mins then just do half! Get everyone involved! 🙂

If you want to do it “with me” then the video is below.

Or you can use the pics below or download a pdf of the workout here: Bodyweight Circuit 9

Have fun! 🙂

xx

Ps. If you missed the previous workouts they’re here: Bodyweight circuit 8, Bodyweight Circuit 7  Bodyweight Circuit 6 ,   Bodyweight Circuit 5, Bodyweight Circuit 4,  Bodyweight Circuit 3, Bodyweight circuit 2 and my first one is here (Bodyweight circuit 1)

 

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Recipes

Veggie Sausage Casserole – perfect mid week warmer

Dr Nancy P

This is an easy meal for a mid week dinner on a great day. I like to cook up a batch of this so it gives a few meals.  You can obviously use any sausages you like, but using veggie sausages really reduces the calories without sacrificing the taste. I usually use quorn sausages but this time I used Cauldron’s lincolnshire sausages and they are delish! If you want to save time use a bag of frozen grilled veg, or use any veg you have in the fridge! Also it’s worth noting that Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies so if you’re vegetarian then double check – Biona and other companies make one without the use of animal products and it’s widely available.

This serves 6 at about 220 cals per portion.

You will need:

6 vegetarian sausages

800 g passata or chopped tomatoes

Approx 500g mixed vegetables (either a pack or 1 onion, 2 sticks celery, 1 pepper, 1 courgette, 1 small aubergine etc – you don’t need to be exact)

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/4 tsp chilli powder (adjust for taste)

1 tsp mixed herbs

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 vegetable stock cube

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp marmite (optional)

1/2 tsp of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

If using fresh veg then prepare it and chop it up. Heat a little oil in a pan, add onions first and allow to soften. Chop the sausages in to slices and add to the pan and allow to brown (NB I like my sausages a bit browner so I often brown them in a separate pan and add them later – but either way works fine). Then add the pepper, courgette and aubergine or whatever veg you like  (if using a pack then just throw it all in at once once the sausages have browned).

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Cook for a couple of mins until the veg start to soften and then add the passata. Stir well and bring to a slow simmer. Add the stock cube, all the spices, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Add the sugar (this brings out a richer tomato flavour). (If you browned the sausages separately then add them now).

Bring to a simmer and allow to cook through for about 10-15 mins.

Serve with green veg and grains, with a jacket potato or just on its own!

enjoy 🙂

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Just a drink….

Dr Nancy P

Just a drink…. 🍷🍫

I think it’s fairly safe to say that for many people during lockdown consumption of alcohol and chocolate (and other snacks etc) has increased. Perhaps in the case of alcohol without even really realising it – certainly that’s what many of my clients have been telling me.

You might easily get through a bottle of white wine during an evening – a glass when you finish work, a glass while you’re preparing dinner, and then a couple during… and before you know it that’s a whole bottle gone. But it’s just a little drink… right?

In contrast if you sat down and ate 4 chocolate bars whilst preparing and eating your dinner you’d probably consider it to be a “bad” thing, and you may even refer to it as a “binge”. You’d almost certainly consider your “diet ruined” if you were trying to watch the calories, but you may not view the wine in the same way,

Liquid calories are much easier to consume, and when they become habitual – like a glass of wine with dinner, it’s even easier to consume them without really registering them. Everyone has their vices and those things they view as “treats” – it may be booze, it may be chocolate or ice cream or crisps etc, but if you are drinking more than you were before lockdown and you are trying to maintain or lose bodyfat then you may just want to think about factoring those booze cals into your daily amount, rather than viewing them as “just a little drink:”

🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: More Volume, Fewer Calories

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: More Volume, Fewer Calories 🍿

Following on from last week’s tip one really good way to help control appetite is to focus on food volume. Recent studies have shown that its the volume of food you’re eating that matters more than the actual calorie content.

In one study participants were given a smoothie, one group had a small one, the other a larger one. Both contained the same number of calories, but the larger one had greater volume as it contained more air. The group that had the larger one ate far fewer calories for the rest of the day – between 12 and 30 percent less! Similar studies have tested it with yoghurt-based meals, soups and normal shakes and all have shown the same results; those who had the meal with greater volume consumed fewer calories and were less prone to overeating for the rest of the day.

In another study they provided participants with soups for lunch over the course of several weeks. When they gave the group a soup that was greater in volume but with the same amount of calories, the participants felt fuller faster and ended up eating fewer calories in that sitting. When they kept the volume the same but increased the calories in the soup the participants ended up eating more calories over all and took longer to feel full.

So basically this shows that food volume can be very important when it comes to controlling appetite and hunger. So what does this mean in practice? There are a few tips you can use to feel fuller quicker – if you have smoothies or protein shakes etc for breakfast allow them to blend for 5 mins longer than usual. This will increase the volume and amount of air in the smoothie. Go for foods that full of air; snacks like rice cakes or low calorie popcorn (high fibre and high volume, but relatively low calories) are brilliant, even zero calorie carbonated fizzy drinks are a great way to help you feel full. Whipping up food also helps; you can whip 0% greek yoghurt and add fruits, or add herbs and spices for a dip. Fruit and vegetables in general are filling as they contain more fibre, water and air so eat those first and include them in your snacks too.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx